Honestly, though, that's the vicious cycle boxing's run into. There aren't enough names left on the field to help push new names. Hockey's run into the same problem. You'd think Crosby and Ovechkin were the only two people on the ice these days.

Gosling:There are boxers worth knowing other than Mayweather and Pacquiao?

Honestly, though, that's the vicious cycle boxing's run into. There aren't enough names left on the field to help push new names. Hockey's run into the same problem. You'd think Crosby and Ovechkin were the only two people on the ice these days.

Boxing needs to take a lesson from MMA in that regard. In the UFC, fighters are promoted heavily no matter how inexperienced they are and fans will show up to an event halfway through the prelims. In boxing only the main event and co-main fighters are promoted, and that's when fans show up. The place is dead until the co-main. You want people to pay attention to your fighters, promote them from the earliest point possible.

As for Hockey, Bettman decided a while ago he wants to go with the Superstar style of promoting an entire sport. This works for some, but leaves a lot of really good players left virtually unknown.

Gosling:Hockey's run into the same problem. You'd think Crosby and Ovechkin were the only two people on the ice these days.

I'd think that Hockey's problem in that regard is that most of Hockey's fan base is on the east coast, which leads to an inordinate number of east coast teams receiving all the attention (esp. the Pens and the Craps), despite the large number of excellent teams and players in the western conference. NBC absolutely could not wait to leave the Hawks-Kings opening day matchup for Pens-Flyers.

Boxing started to die when it abandoned broadcast TV completely for pay-per-view. If kids dont grow up watching it on TV then it will just be a niche sport eventually. Hockey would be as dead as Soccer in the IUS if not for Canada because of this.

You want boxing to grow? Do what it takes to put some undercard matches on broadcast TV and once in awhile a championship bout. Even Vince McMahon and the bare knuckle fight promoters know how to do that. Then you can get young fans interested again and eventually sell more pay per view.

germ78:I'd think that Hockey's problem in that regard is that most of Hockey's fan base is on the east coast, which leads to an inordinate number of east coast teams receiving all the attention (esp. the Pens and the Craps), despite the large number of excellent teams and players in the western conference. NBC absolutely could not wait to leave the Hawks-Kings opening day matchup for Pens-Flyers.

NBC's not promoting players, and they're not promoting contenders either. They've just decided some teams will sell and some teams won't and arbitrarily slashed the league down to a fraction of its size. If you're in the Western Conference and you're not involved in a Red Wings/Blackhawks matchup, even if you're actively in possession of the Cup, fark you. And fark you if you're south of Washington. Or Canadian. Or really anywhere outside of easy driving distance from 30 Rock.

mikaloyd:Boxing started to die when it abandoned broadcast TV completely for pay-per-view. If kids dont grow up watching it on TV then it will just be a niche sport eventually. Hockey would be as dead as Soccer in the IUS if not for Canada because of this.

You want boxing to grow? Do what it takes to put some undercard matches on broadcast TV and once in awhile a championship bout. Even Vince McMahon and the bare knuckle fight promoters know how to do that. Then you can get young fans interested again and eventually sell more pay per view.

lol. tyson fury is a mediocre at best boxer who is so desperate for publicity and money he challenged ufc heavyweight champ cain velasquez to a match. every single person in the world, including other british boxers and mma practitioners laughed at him, with either haye or chisora saying he'd bet the house on cain.

Gosling:germ78: I'd think that Hockey's problem in that regard is that most of Hockey's fan base is on the east coast, which leads to an inordinate number of east coast teams receiving all the attention (esp. the Pens and the Craps), despite the large number of excellent teams and players in the western conference. NBC absolutely could not wait to leave the Hawks-Kings opening day matchup for Pens-Flyers.

NBC's not promoting players, and they're not promoting contenders either. They've just decided some teams will sell and some teams won't and arbitrarily slashed the league down to a fraction of its size. If you're in the Western Conference and you're not involved in a Red Wings/Blackhawks matchup, even if you're actively in possession of the Cup, fark you. And fark you if you're south of Washington. Or Canadian. Or really anywhere outside of easy driving distance from 30 Rock.

Oh I hear you on those points. Having the media pay attention when Hawks-Wings happens is one of the nicer parts of being a Hawks fan. It annoys me when NBC runs with the usual suspects during their Game of the Week.

mikaloyd:You want boxing to grow? Do what it takes to put some undercard matches on broadcast TV and once in awhile a championship bout.

There's been live boxing on both CBS and NBC this year. You'll never see the top level guys on there (PPV makes way too much more money for the fighters and promoters for the big guns) but they are at least trying.

Gosling:There aren't enough names left on the field to help push new names. Hockey's run into the same problem. You'd think Crosby and Ovechkin were the only two people on the ice these days.

There is a lot of hockey talent. The NHL's problem is that the league is TRYING to be the NBA: where "the star" is bigger than the team, or sometimes even the game itself... this is in a sport that has multiple line changes during the game, making it more similar to football than basketball in that "the stars" don't even PLAY that much during the course of a game, at least relative to how much they'd play in an NBA or baseball game. Well, that, and the continuous lock-outs, the fact that networks don't want to show hockey, and so forth... the league is, in just about every way, destroying itself.

Boxing's problem has more to do with the few entities that do all of the marketing, and how they've been too old school to adapt with MMA while keeping the old boxing fans happy. Honestly, their attitude seems to be more akin to that of a bowl game committee in college football: if THEY get paid, f*ck everyone else. I think they went to the "Heavyweight" well one too many times, and tried to make too many good boxers into "legendary" boxers by hype alone. Keep telling us that $50 for a Pacquiao fight is worth it, when there are a bunch of guys who I don't know on the undercard.

germ78:I'd think that Hockey's problem in that regard is that most of Hockey's fan base is on the east coast, which leads to an inordinate number of east coast teams receiving all the attention (esp. the Pens and the Craps)

Err, no. I mean I'm not saying the east coast won't get more hype in general, but the league threw all of their chips in on Crosby, and when they won a few, tossed some Ovechkin's way. I think they'd be hyping either player if they played out west (heck, they tried making him Gretzky AGAIN if he went to a team like the Kings). Now that the house took just about all of their money, it's going to be interesting to see what happens...

I'll wait until next year to judge how the league is trying to fix their media nightmare. After the strikelock, they have to worry about just finishing this season... worry about marketing in the offseason.

Ok. I'll keep my eye out for that guy, after he has his 4 setup bouts, hopefully his competition doesn't lose in the meantime. Oh and that they agree to fight after all this. If the fates have their way, we can see this contender get his shot in 3-7 years if we are lucky.

Gosling:germ78: I'd think that Hockey's problem in that regard is that most of Hockey's fan base is on the east coast, which leads to an inordinate number of east coast teams receiving all the attention (esp. the Pens and the Craps), despite the large number of excellent teams and players in the western conference. NBC absolutely could not wait to leave the Hawks-Kings opening day matchup for Pens-Flyers.

NBC's not promoting players, and they're not promoting contenders either. They've just decided some teams will sell and some teams won't and arbitrarily slashed the league down to a fraction of its size. If you're in the Western Conference and you're not involved in a Red Wings/Blackhawks matchup, even if you're actively in possession of the Cup, fark you. And fark you if you're south of Washington. Or Canadian. Or really anywhere outside of easy driving distance from 30 Rock.

I don't think any Canadians are turning to NBC for their hockey coverage unless they're expats.

mikaloyd:Boxing started to die when it abandoned broadcast TV completely for pay-per-view. If kids dont grow up watching it on TV then it will just be a niche sport eventually. Hockey would be as dead as Soccer in the US if not for Canada because of this.

As dead as soccer?! Soccer is one of the fastest growing and most popular sports in the US. Aside from it being the number one team sport in participation, US soccer also has fantastic television viewer-ship. But you are correct that broadcast TV is much better for a sport to remain popular. If I recall correctly, more people watched the network aired US/ENG World Cup Match than any Superbowl. disclaimer: It may have been more than that year's Superbowl. At any rate, 'dead as soccer' is dead in this country.

puffy999:Gosling: There aren't enough names left on the field to help push new names. Hockey's run into the same problem. You'd think Crosby and Ovechkin were the only two people on the ice these days.

There is a lot of hockey talent. The NHL's problem is that the league is TRYING to be the NBA: where "the star" is bigger than the team, or sometimes even the game itself... this is in a sport that has multiple line changes during the game, making it more similar to football than basketball in that "the stars" don't even PLAY that much during the course of a game, at least relative to how much they'd play in an NBA or baseball game. Well, that, and the continuous lock-outs, the fact that networks don't want to show hockey, and so forth... the league is, in just about every way, destroying itself.

Boxing's problem has more to do with the few entities that do all of the marketing, and how they've been too old school to adapt with MMA while keeping the old boxing fans happy. Honestly, their attitude seems to be more akin to that of a bowl game committee in college football: if THEY get paid, f*ck everyone else. I think they went to the "Heavyweight" well one too many times, and tried to make too many good boxers into "legendary" boxers by hype alone. Keep telling us that $50 for a Pacquiao fight is worth it, when there are a bunch of guys who I don't know on the undercard.

Add to that boxings idiotic tradition of building fighters via tomato cans then dumping them once they lose the contender/title fight. Again, take a cue from MMA and keep these guys in the conversation, that's how you help sell a fighter. Fans like the underdogs, and nothing sells like a underdog rematch.

I could go into a rant about the Super Six series, but that debacle speaks for itself.

mikaloyd:Boxing started to die when it abandoned broadcast TV completely for pay-per-view. If kids dont grow up watching it on TV then it will just be a niche sport eventually. Hockey would be as dead as Soccer in the IUS if not for Canada because of this.

You want boxing to grow? Do what it takes to put some undercard matches on broadcast TV and once in awhile a championship bout. Even Vince McMahon and the bare knuckle fight promoters know how to do that. Then you can get young fans interested again and eventually sell more pay per view.

The 'Boxing died due to abandoning TV' was pretty much the theory of the owners of the UFC. The UFC was firmly niche until they put a reality show on Spike TV and starting running prelims and fight nights on that channel. At one point you could not rent MMA videos in a video store, but those videostores still had a porn section. Now MMA is a rapidly expanding niche that run a crapton of content on at least two networks (Spike with Bellator, and Fox with the UFC).

There is some good news for boxing though. Every goddamn broadcaster either has a sports network or wants to start one; ABC has ESPN. NBC has 'NBC Sports Network'. CBS has a sports network. And Fox is rolling out Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2. Filling all those channels with worthwhile content is going to be a bit of a challenge. Fox went with the UFC and MMA to round things out. But NBC and CBS are experimenting with broadcasting boxing events.

The point (if I have one)...While sports fans who call themselves purists will complain about any amount of violence in most sports. You still have some fans who complain about the fistfights that breakout in hockey games, and concussions are a growing concern for football.

But fans of Boxing are not going to complain at all about violence or concussions. In fact, it will be encouraged. Even if putting a Mayweather or Pacquiao or Klitchko fight on network TV is too damn expensive, there are still plenty of fights that could potentially be broadcast.

Fury is not terrible, he could be a solid contender plus he is willing to engage which makes him entertaining. His talk is so farking ridiculous though, I guess I can't blame him that is he only way he can get his (awesome) name out there. Becoming a world championship sure ain't gonna be it.

So, boxing is still a thing? They have a rather significant marketing problem. I work around a large portion of their target audience (18-50 males, military types), and I cannot remember the last time I heard a conversation about boxing, but most around here can name many of the current UFC fighters.

I haven't been invited to a boxing event in years, but I get a few invites every month to see the latest UFC PPV at local bars or Hooters.

The problem with boxing has a lot less to do with the boxers and way more to do with how it is "governed". It has gotten so convoluted that it has compromised the integrity of the sport. A boxer's success is as dependent on signing with the right people as it is skill level. The whole sport seems to be based around short term pay outs with no concern about the legacy it leaves or the future of the sport. Kind of like horse racing, it is becomming less of a true "spectator sport" and more or a foundation to maintain a gambling infrastructure.

heavymetal:The problem with boxing has a lot less to do with the boxers and way more to do with how it is "governed". It has gotten so convoluted that it has compromised the integrity of the sport. A boxer's success is as dependent on signing with the right people as it is skill level. The whole sport seems to be based around short term pay outs with no concern about the legacy it leaves or the future of the sport. Kind of like horse racing, it is becomming less of a true "spectator sport" and more or a foundation to maintain a gambling infrastructure.

That's because boxing is by and large a work. It's what pro wrestling was about 100 years ago - semi-legit contests with worked finishes and real punching. MMA is likely not much different. People who denigrate Vince McMahon, but are okay with Don King and Dana White make me laugh.

There's simply more money in fixing the fight. That's the way it is. If people actually cared about 100% pure contests they'd go see Golden Gloves, not Don King Productions or UFC.

verbaltoxin:heavymetal: The problem with boxing has a lot less to do with the boxers and way more to do with how it is "governed". It has gotten so convoluted that it has compromised the integrity of the sport. A boxer's success is as dependent on signing with the right people as it is skill level. The whole sport seems to be based around short term pay outs with no concern about the legacy it leaves or the future of the sport. Kind of like horse racing, it is becomming less of a true "spectator sport" and more or a foundation to maintain a gambling infrastructure.

That's because boxing is by and large a work. It's what pro wrestling was about 100 years ago - semi-legit contests with worked finishes and real punching. MMA is likely not much different. People who denigrate Vince McMahon, but are okay with Don King and Dana White make me laugh.

There's simply more money in fixing the fight. That's the way it is. If people actually cared about 100% pure contests they'd go see Golden Gloves, not Don King Productions or UFC.

verbaltoxin:heavymetal: The problem with boxing has a lot less to do with the boxers and way more to do with how it is "governed". It has gotten so convoluted that it has compromised the integrity of the sport. A boxer's success is as dependent on signing with the right people as it is skill level. The whole sport seems to be based around short term pay outs with no concern about the legacy it leaves or the future of the sport. Kind of like horse racing, it is becomming less of a true "spectator sport" and more or a foundation to maintain a gambling infrastructure.

That's because boxing is by and large a work. It's what pro wrestling was about 100 years ago - semi-legit contests with worked finishes and real punching. MMA is likely not much different. People who denigrate Vince McMahon, but are okay with Don King and Dana White make me laugh.

There's simply more money in fixing the fight. That's the way it is. If people actually cared about 100% pure contests they'd go see Golden Gloves, not Don King Productions or UFC.

I disagree with yoru asessment of MMA. I do not see the pattern of "stars" being propped up and protected like it is in boxing along with the controversial results and shady judging. That one MMA promotion tried with Kimbo Slice, but it was so obvious that it basically killed the promotion. I am not implying Dana White is a "saint" by any means, but he is way too smart (and way too much money to lose) to throw away the UFC's credibility like that.

heavymetal:I disagree with yoru asessment of MMA. I do not see the pattern of "stars" being propped up and protected like it is in boxing along with the controversial results and shady judging. That one MMA promotion tried with Kimbo Slice, but it was so obvious that it basically killed the promotion. I am not implying Dana White is a "saint" by any means, but he is way too smart (and way too much money to lose) to throw away the UFC's credibility like that.

It's just harder to hide a raw/flawed MMA fighter than it is flawed boxer, IMHO. You can get by to a certain extent in boxing just by being quicker and stronger than the tomato can your promoter has paired you up against. Being bigger and stronger than your opponent goes for naught once he's slapped a guillotine on you. There used to be a day when a Rampage Jackson could get by just on being a brawler (although Jackson had pretty strong submission defense), but those days are gone. Professional MMA fighters are too well rounded and polished these days to not exploit obvious weaknesses.

As a sport I still think boxing is better than MMA but when it comes to organization and legitimacy, UFC (and other MMA leagues) blow all the boxing leagues out of the water. Plenty of people would STILL rather see a fist fight over a bunch of wrestling and such but boxing is an unorganized and corrupt joke and it has essentially regulated boxing out of mainstream sports. I'm still a sucker and will watch a good fight when I can, Cotto knocking out Pacquiao was great to watch (and I was rooting for Manny).